FatwaFederal TerritoriesCreed (Aqidah)
IRSYAD AL-HUKUM SIRI KE-961: KAFIR HARBI BUKAN GELARAN UMUM TERHADAP ORANG BUKAN ISLAM
Can all non-Muslims be regarded as kafir harbi, and can a Muslim who appreciates or cooperates with them be judged an apostate?
Short answer
Not all non-Muslims are kafir harbi. The term kafir describes a person's creed, while harbi refers to a party in a state of war with no treaty or guarantee of safety.
A reference, not a fatwa. First sentence of the summary below — read the original fatwa and consult your state authority before acting.
- Authority
- Federal Territories Mufti Office
- Date
- Status
- Opinion (irsyad)
- Series
- Irsyad al-Hukum (Umum)
- Topic
- Creed (Aqidah)
No evidence of gazettement in the source — this is not a gazetted fatwa.
Summary
Not all non-Muslims are kafir harbi. The term kafir describes a person's creed, while harbi refers to a party in a state of war with no treaty or guarantee of safety. Non-Muslim citizens who live peacefully and obey the law are under the protection of the state. Appreciating their good conduct, justice or expertise does not mean approving of disbelief, and rulings of disbelief must not be extended without evidence into accusations of apostasy or judgments on a person's fate in the hereafter.
Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.
Tidak semua orang bukan Islam ialah kafir harbi. Istilah kafir menerangkan kedudukan akidah, manakala sifat harbi berkaitan dengan pihak yang berada dalam keadaan perang serta tidak mempunyai perjanjian atau jaminan keamanan.
Read the full fatwa on the Federal Territories website (new tab)
How to cite
Cite the original fatwa and its authority. Rujuk Fatwa is only where you found it.
Federal Territories Mufti Office. “IRSYAD AL-HUKUM SIRI KE-961: KAFIR HARBI BUKAN GELARAN UMUM TERHADAP ORANG BUKAN ISLAM”, 23 July 2026. https://muftiwp.gov.my/ms/artikel/irsyad-hukum/umum/6621-irsyad-al-hukum-siri-ke-961-kafir-harbi-bukan-gelaran-umum-terhadap-orang-bukan-islam. Found via Rujuk Fatwa: https://rujukfatwa.com/en/fatwa/are-all-non-muslims-kafir-harbi/